This is extremely special to me and I would like to share it with my community here.

When I was younger I once asked my Mom what happened during Nazi Germany with the Jews. She said she didn't want to talk about it, and stuck to it till she deceased, but she once told me that: "Every family in our street moved away when things got worse but us..."

I've been asked by Jews from other countries how I could live here (in Germany). My answer is this. My Grandparents, probably mostly the Grandfather, were too stubborn to move away for many reasons I don't know with certainty, but that I can think of. And since I grew up hearing "You so remind me of my father...." and that we were so alike, I think I can probably say that my assumptions are right.

Our mother grew up without her parents, the father returned but deceased shortly after. We kids grew up basically non-religious. We celebrated Easter and Christmas because everyone did, and every Sunday mother baked bread.
This year, when I received the recipe for Challah (the bread for the Sabbath) and read it, I smiled, but also almost cried. It was the same recipe that my Mom used and that she probably had from her Mom. I have it from my Mom and I knew how to bake Challah all of my life, I just didn't know that it was Challah.

A couple of weeks ago I ordered my mezuzah. I got it from the States because even after weeks of trying to find the perfect mezuzah I couldn't find one in Europe lol. I knew it might take a week or two to arrive here, but something told me it would arrive on Tisha b'Av. Tisha b'Av is a very tragic day in Jewsih history when a lot of unimaginable terribel things and prosecution happened to Jewish people. I wanted to fast on that day so I took a day off in advance.
Four weeks later - on Monday night the day before yesterday - when I returned back from work I had a scrap of paper in the mailbox saying that I could visit the customs in order to pick up my item. I was kindof surprised, almost struck with - not fear but don't know how to express it - that I would go and pick up my mezuzah on the following day which would indeed be: on Tisha b'Av.

I went to temple service on Monday night and Tuesday morning, and had classes afterwords, so never before in my life did I hear these words that often:

Quote:

Love the Lord your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.

And that should be the day I'd affix my mezuzah to the doorpost out of all days. After classes I went to the customs office and picked it up.

Affixing it to the doorpost is kind of a historical event for me. My Grandfather was too stubborn to leave and to flee like burglar in the night. This was his home, and we would stay no matter what. When I nailed this mezuzah to my doorpost, in the same country, in the same city, a mezuzah that had been missing for almost two generations, it was like affirming my Grandfathers’ decisiveness. I’m still here. Hence, we’re still here. We ain’t moving anywhere else.

Thank you for reading.

__________________"So we finally enter Israel, and the first thing we do is to translate the Torah into 70 other languages???!"

This is extremely special to me and I would like to share it with my community here.

When I nailed this mezuzah to my doorpost, in the same country, in the same city, a mezuzah that had been missing for almost two generations, it was like affirming my Grandfathers’ decisiveness. I’m still here. Hence, we’re still here. We ain’t moving anywhere else.

Thank you for sharing with us this beautiful story. God is amazing.

Can you share with us what a mezuzah is? I could easily look it up, but your story is so beautiful I would like to hear you tell what it is. Thank you.

Where I live mezuzot are as common as doorbells. Our pediatrician's office has one. Often a house or apartment that occupied by a Jewish family is subsequently occupied by Gentiles and no one ever bothered to take down the mezuzah. When my children started pointing them out it was a teachable moment.

The house where I grew up had a mezuzah on the front door post. It never really occurred to me as a kid to investigate it further - I just learned over time that it was a symbol of the faith of one of the families that had lived in the house previously (I'm not sure which family). So far as I know, it was never taken down. It may well still be there (I checked Google Streetview, but can't get the right angle on the door to zoom in and see!)

Your story is very moving and I wish you great peace and spiritual harmony as a result of your actions.

May you be blessed.

__________________DexUK
=====May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May he show his face to you and have mercy on you.
May he turn his countenance towards you
and give you peace.

Can you share with us what a mezuzah is? I could easily look it up, but your story is so beautiful I would like to hear you tell what it is. Thank you.

Thank you for the question. When I picked it up at the customs the office worker asked me why my item consisted of two parts, and I explained to him that you have the valuable and handwritten parchment that basically contains G-ds' commandment which says that The L0rd our G-d is one and that we should love Him with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength. It also says that we should write these words as symbols on the doorframes of our houses and our gates. You place this little scroll in a case and fix this case to the doorpost. It reminds us of our relationship with G-d.

__________________"So we finally enter Israel, and the first thing we do is to translate the Torah into 70 other languages???!"

Thank you for sharing your wonderful story. I know G-d has blessed you tremendously as you are continuing on the legacy of your family as one of the chosen people of G-d.

I am Catholic but have spent a lot of time studying Hebrew and Judaism and I love to hear people have mezuzah's displayed on or in their homes. I have a mezuzah affixed to the inside of my bedroom door next to a crucifix to remind myself that Jesus was Jewish and the Jewish roots of Christianity.

May G-d bless you

יברכך יי וישמרך יאר יי פנו אליך ישא יי פניו אליך וישם לך שלום

!שלום

-Landon

__________________

For my flesh is food indeed and my blood is drink indeed.-John 6:55

"For me prayer is a surge of the heart, it is a simple look towards Heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy."
-St. Therese of Lisieux

A very moving story. Is congratulations the right sentiment? I am sure your ancestors would be very happy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PennyinCanada

I love seeing the fingerprint of God in my life, and enjoyed reading yours. God bless and strengthen your family today.

And actually, CAF can take the credit. It was on these boards that someone told me that if my Grandmother was Jewish I would be Jewish, too. I wouldn't find the thread anymore but I argued with him lol weather being Jewish went through the father or the mother. I thought the former was the case. G-ds ways are mysterious sometimes.

__________________"So we finally enter Israel, and the first thing we do is to translate the Torah into 70 other languages???!"